The Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has appointed Richard Macdonald as Deputy Chairman of the Environment Agency (EA) until the end of his term as an EA Board Member on 31 May 2020.

Richard has been a member of the Board since 1 June 2013 and is a member of the Audit and Risk Assurance, Remuneration, and the Flood & Coastal Risk Management (FCRM) Committees. He is the lead Board member for Land Agriculture and is also Area Board member for West Midlands.

This appointment is made by the Secretary of State on recommendation from the Chair of the EA and in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ Code of Practice. The role of Deputy Chair carries a responsibility allowance of £4,199 per annum.

Notes to Editors

Richard was appointed Acting Deputy Chair on 1 March 2016. This announcement confirms his role as Deputy Chair.

The Environment Agency is a Non-Departmental Public Body, set up under the Environment Act 1995 to take an integrated approach to environmental protection and enhancement in England.

The Environment Agency has major responsibilities in flood management, water resources and quality, climate change, land quality, chemicals, pollution prevention and control, waste, conservation and biodiversity, fisheries conservation, air quality and navigation.

There is a requirement for appointees’ political activity (if significant) to be declared. Richard Macdonald has confirmed that he has not undertaken any significant political activity during the past five years.

Biography

Appointed Board member June 2013 - 2020
Five days per month

Richard was the Chair of the Better Regulation Task Force taking on responsibility for its implementation. He has a strong farming background and was the Director General of the National Farmers’ Union from 1996 - 2009. He is the Chairman of Farm Africa, a Trustee of the Earth Trust and Chairman of the Food Standard Agency’s Action on Campylobacter Board. Richard is currently a Non-Executive Director at Dairy Crest and Moy Park and is also the Vice Chairman of the National Institute for Agricultural Botany (NIAB).